Smoking on the stove was a big cast-iron skillet with about half a pound of bacon frying. The tallest girl cracked half a dozen eggs into the skillet on top of the bacon grease.
“Are you Effie?” Sara asked, taking a step forward. “Your mother told us about you. She said—”
“Don’t come no closer,” the girl at the stove said, her face turned into a snarl. “Yeah, I’m Effie, but no matter what you try to butter me up with, you ain’t gettin’ none of this food.”
“We had breakfast, thank you,” Sara said stiffly.
“Yeah, I bet you did,” the girl said, smirking. “I know you ain’t got nothin’ to eat.” This idea seemed to please her so much that she smiled as she used a spatula to place eggs and bacon onto three plates.
Sara looked at R.J. as though to ask for help, but he was looking around the house.
“Who built this place?” he asked.
“Nobody you ever heard of,” Effie said nastily.
Sara rolled her eyes. “Mind if I use your restroom?” she asked as
she turned toward the hallway.
“No!” one of the other girls shouted. “Use the outdoors.”
“I beg your pardon,” Sara said.
The three girls were looking at her, their faces wearing identical expressions of hostility.
Sara stopped walking.
“Who are the two little kids outside?” R.J. asked.
“Twins,” one of the girls said, her mouth full, her lips glistening with grease.
When Sara looked at R.J., she saw that his face was flooding with red. He looked as though he were angry enough to kill someone. Without thinking, she put her arm in his. “I think we should go outside,” she said loudly. “Your mother wants us to look after you, but you girls seem to be all right by yourself. I think she must have meant the twins. Maybe I should give them a bath.”
“Not in here, you won’t,” Effie said. “Creek’s good enough for them.”
“You—” R.J. began, but Sara tightened her grip on his arm and started moving backward toward the door.
“Creek,” Sara said. “Right. I’ll bathe them in the creek.”
One of the other girls spoke. “Daddy says they’re too pretty anyway, so it’s better if they’re dirty. It’ll keep ’em from gettin’ too fond of themselves.”
“Your father sounds like a man of great wisdom,” Sara said, holding tightly onto R.J.’s arm, her eyes begging him to say nothing.
“You makin’ fun of me?” the girl said, her small eyes narrowed. “My daddy’ll get you back. On Monday he’s gonna make you pay for what you did to the dog.”
“I’m sure he will,” Sara said, still backing up. “By the way, where is your father?”
“Don’t know and it ain’t none of your business anyway.”
“Of course not,” Sara said. “It’s just that someone called your mother and—”
“There ain’t no telephones. The cable’s out.” All three girls were looking at Sara as though she was trying to pry information out of them, which she was.
“Oh, right,” Sara said. “It must have been the cellphone then.”
“Cellphones don’t work here.”
“Then how did she know about the …?”